Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to landscape borders, edging, and enclosure devices for protection and watering of trees and bushes/shrubs in yards or gardens, including sloped hillsides.
Description of Related Art
Gardeners and landscapers frequently utilize border or edging material, such as fences, logs, railroad ties, bricks, concrete blocks, and the like to provide a decorative or functional edge for a lawn or garden, or to establish a terrace, or to surround a tree, or to contain mulch. Such border items are heavy, awkward to handle and place, and generally are not watertight. Such border items are also not designed to be used on sloped ground or a hillside.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,822 to Beckham describes a circular tree surround (edging border) made from an impermeable plastic material, which lies on the ground, and has a central well for holding water in a porous foam insert. The product is not designed for use on a slope or hillside; and depending on the manufacturing tolerances, the male/female interlocking joint that connects the two free ends of the tree surround may, or may not be, a watertight joint, depending on the tolerances.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,194 to Measday, et al. describes a circular tree surround made from a flexible, impermeable polymeric material, having a conical shape, and which is partially buried in the ground. The product is not designed for use on a slope or hillside, and the conical shape of the surround requires that dirt be dug up and backfilled around the outside of the surround after installation. Also, depending on the manufacturing tolerances, the male/female interlocking joint that connects the two free ends of the tree surround may, or may not be, a watertight joint, depending on the tolerances.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,526 to Langley describes a circular tree surround (edging border) made from an impermeable plastic material, which is partially embedded in the ground, and has a serrated bottom edge. The product is not designed for use on a slope or hillside; and depending on the manufacturing tolerances, the “T”-shaped male/female interlocking joint that connects the two free ends of the tree surround may, or may not be, a watertight joint, depending on the tolerances.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,503 to Nickson describes a circular tree surround (edging border) made from an impermeable plastic material, which is partially buried in the ground, and has a serrated bottom edge. The product is not designed for use on a slope or hillside; and the male/female interlocking joint that connects the two overlapping sides of the tree surround may not remain as a watertight joint as the plastic ages, softens, and weakens over time.
US Patent Application Publication US 2014/0215908 A1 to Scott Ta describes a circular tree surround made from a flexible, impermeable polymeric material, which rests on the ground. The product is not designed for use on a slope or hillside; and depending on the manufacturing tolerances, the male/female interlocking joint that connects the two free ends of the tree surround may, or may not be, a watertight joint, depending on the tolerances.
Against this background, the present invention was developed.